New Delhi: The dampening situation of the sharing of Cauvery water between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka refuses to be lifted as DMK staged 'Rail Roko' agitation in Chennai demanding the formation of the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) on Monday.

The 48-hour rail roko agitation has been called by the farmers' organisation on October 17 and 18 which starts from today. Protesters who participated in the event raised slogans censuring the Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Centre was condemned by the protesters for taking a stand against setting up the CMB immediately.

In the state capital Chennai, DMK leader M.K. Stalin led the party's protest at Perambur.

Similarly, members of the DMK, Congress and MDMK were arrested while they protested at different parts of the state.

Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are at war for long over the sharing of Cauvery river waters.

On October 3, the Ministry of Water Resources filed an Interlocutory Application in the Supreme Court seeking modification of its September 30 order to constitute the CMB by October 4.

The Ministry in its application said the CMB cannot be constituted now.